2012 Red Burgundy

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Red Burgundy - Wine Vintage 2012

The parallel of 1961 Bordeaux springs to mind: a tiny crop because of difficulties in the first half of the growing season, while subsequent fine weather produced wines of extraordinary concentration. Barrel tastings of the red wines show immense promise, especially in the hail-free Côte de Nuits.

They are full of exuberant fruit, similar in quality to 2010 but quite different in style: more glamour but less sophistication perhaps. The balance of tannins and acidity – both present, neither discordant – suggests good ageing potential. The hail has left no trace in the form of musty flavours but occasional Côte de Beaune wines have shown an over-firm tannic structure. Many, however, are just as fine as their northern counterparts.

The winter of 2011-2012 was relatively mild – warm and sometimes damp but rarely rainy. The river at the end of our garden dwindled to midsummer size and there were no severe frosts to give the flora a winter break. This changed with a vengeance at the very beginning of February with a two week cold snap, with temperatures hitting minus 15c, not in itself a dangerous level, but the lateness of the snap and the fierce northerly winds was a devastating combination with widespread incidence of burst water pipes and possibly some damage in the vineyards, which have been slow to recover from the intense cold of December 2009. There were definitely some losses in the Beaujolais during this freeze.

Warmth returned at the end of the month and March was ridiculously lovely, with close to summertime temperatures and a rush of vegetation. No rain at all however which was looking worrying at the time. April was cool, dreary and damp with some rainfall almost everyday, excepting Tuesday 17th April, where the crystal clear dawn delivered some frost damage in Chablis and Santenay. These unsettled conditions continued into the month of May. We wondered if a change of president might herald a change of weather, as it had in 2007, but gloomier, right wing, vignerons in Chablis remembered the double whammy of 1981 – first a socialist president in Francois Mitterand, then a devastating frost a few days later. In fact there was another localised frost attack, in Chassagne-Montrachet and Santenay on 17th May.

The vines, which had been so much in advance after the March ‘heatwave’ had by now fallen back, and vignerons were becoming frustrated by the continued “one day on, one day off” shower cycle, which made it hard to get into the vineyards to plough or to treat against disease, with mildew becoming a very real threat. The poor weather continued into a third month, June, with repercussions for the flowering, which got strung out and was affected in particular by the downpour with hail attached that hit several parts of the Côte on 7th June. There were multiple examples of coulure, where the embryo grapes abort instead of growing, and millerandage, when the grapes remain under-sized.

Frustration turned to despair as the rain continued throughout June into the first half of July. It did not rain every day, so it was possible to spray the vineyards, but the wear and tear on vignerons’ nerves and stamina began to show. Even the good days tended to be hot and humid, often culminating in storms and sometimes hail, with significant of both mildew and oidium. In order to stay on top of the problems, growers had to invest in vastly increased man hours in the vineyards, with the prospect of a much smaller crop at the end. Encore plus de travail pour encore moins de récolte. Further bad news took the form of a sudden heat spike on 12th July, grilling exposed bunches of grapes.

Finally, the weather turned over the weekend of 21st /22nd July with welcome sunshine and a cool northerly wind. August brought real summer weather, with occasional bursts of significant heat, but still punctuated by stormy interludes. Many of these storms brought hail, eventually covering almost all appellations in the Côte de Beaune, with a particularly bad attack on 1st August. There was never a single moment all summer when growers could relax, and by now it was evident that 2012 would be the smallest of three consecutive under-sized Pinot Noir crops – or, indeed, five out of six – with the run from 2007 broken only by the ample 2009 vintage.

September began with a beautiful, hot, first ten days, then, the weather turned notably autumnal starting with yet another storm over Santenay and Puligny on the night of Tuesday 11th.

Arnaud Ente and Dominique Lafon were among a group who started picking on Friday 14th, their samples showing ripe grapes rather than in response to less favourable weather further ahead. In fact the first week of harvest proved much better than expected but the threat of Atlantic depressions heading eastwards never disappeared. They finally materialised during the afternoon of Friday 21st with showers which turned heavy overnight giving way to a damp grey foggy morning on the 22nd.

By this time most Côte d’Or whites had been picked, the reds of the Côte de Beaune were well under way and the Côte de Nuits were beginning to start. Sunday 23rd was a busy day in the vineyards up and down the Côte, with hot sun forecast – though in the event it was misty-drizzly all morning and only cheered up after lunch. But at this late stage, with no rot apparent and protectively thick skins on the grapes, there was little fear of disease spreading or even of the grapes being diluted through sucking up large volumes of water.

That week Monday 24th was stormy with rain and strong wind in the early hours, continuing through much of the morning, though much brighter in the afternoon. Tuesday began overcast, brightened up during the day though occasional showers made an appearance, before a heavy storm in the evening – a precursor of the week’s worst weather through the night and all day on Wednesday, when it rained steadily. Almost everybody in the Côte de Beaune had finished by then, though some habitual retardataires in the Côte de Nuits, were just about to start. The clouds cleared on Thursday morning with the forecasts anticipating fair, albeit cooler weather, for the rest of the harvest. As ever, the early pickers and the late pickers remain firm in the certainty that their decision was the correct one, but everybody agrees that even the heavy rainfall of 26th September failed to do any damage, with no appearance of rot.

Yields were, if anything, even worse than expected. Not only were there fewer grapes than usual, which had at least been evident for several months, but there was hardly any juice in the grapes: thick skins and some pulp, but not a lot of liquid. Vignerons reckoned that the wines should be pretty good, with ripe flavours, good but not excessive sugar readings, and the ideal balance of acidity. However faces were long as they realised just how little wine they would have, frequently at or under 15 hl/ha in the Côte de Beaune where the storms had done most damage, not much more in Nuits-St Georges where the flowering had been particularly difficult, but somewhat better in Chambolle-Musigny for example.

The Mâconnais and Chablis also fared better than Meursault and Puligny. Yields were variable in Chablis depending on frost damage and flowering conditions, but for most growers it was just a slightly low crop with a few sites worse hit. There were also some problems with drought through the summer – evidently rather different weather conditions in the Yonne – and the rainfall in mid-September was very necessary to complete the ripening process. Some chose to pick relatively rapidly, finishing around the end of the month. Others only began to pick in October.Jasper Morris MW - Wine Buyer

Jasper divides his time between England and Burgundy. His unique position led him to write the ultimate guide to the vineyards of the region, Inside Burgundy. Described as “the greatest reference work of our generation” by Bill Nanson (www.burgundyreport. com), and “an essential book for anyone remotely interested in the region and its wines” by Neal Martin (www.erobertparker.com), this outstandingly detailed book, in 656 pages, covers one thousand specific vineyards, from Grands Crus to obscure plots.

What a joyful, generous wine - one of Etienne's more modest cuvées but golly is it an impressive piece of work! From 50 year old Gamay vines in Flagey-Échezeaux, this delivers crunchy red fruit to the tip of the tongue and more complex, riper fruit aromas on the mid-palate.

This domaine was established in 1940. Today, with Alain Coche at the helm, it is comprised of 12 hectares, including holdings in Meursault, Pommard and Puligny-Montrachet. Alain Coche recommends that his wines are drunk at a minimum of five years old, irrespective of vintage. This is medium ruby in colour, with red berry aromas and just a hint of “forest floor” and savoury spice. Its tannins are impeccably integrated following a few years’ repose. Enjoy it now and over the next decade.

From a vineyard called Les Plateaux, planted in 1971, this wine is medium purple in colour with quite ripe fruit, black notes, and some clay in the soil lending extra weight to the wine. The succulent dark fruit is backed by a lick of acidity and a little touch of tannin.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Picking began on 24th September through to 5th October, producing a tiny yield in Premeaux after heavy rain during flowering. However, Chambolle survived in places and did go through malolactic fermentation with ease, leaving Nuits-St Georges to be much later. Despite healthy fruit, the crop has been reduced severely, producing as little as 12 hl/ ha in places. Patrice uses 30% new wood on his village wines and 40% for his Premiers Crus. Wines marked as Patrice Rion label are officially negoiant cuves, but in every case, except the village Chambolle-Musigny, the Rions have done all the vineyard work as well as made the wine.

Until 28th March this product is discounted by 20% off the retail bottle price.*

This has a very elegant, fresh raspberry nose with a touch of strawberry behind. Cherries come into the picture too on the palate, then the lovely spicy, sherbet-y finish from the stems. This is a fascinating, complex wine with some sensual touches to it. We expect it to age well.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Bénigne Joliet presides over one of Burgundy’s most fascinating properties, the Clos de la Perrière, first established by the monks of Cîteaux in 1142. The impressive Manoir has over four hectares of this Monopole under vine, with different vine age (up to 85 years), exposures and soils bringing complexity. Bénigne uses 20% whole bunches and 15% new barrels, with a relatively long maturation period, in order to avoid the rustic aspects of some Fixin wines.

*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout. Offer only applies to 75cl bottles, other formats are not included.

Attractive, bright mid-red, with fresh plums and a touch of new wood, this is unquestionably a very concentrated wine with enormous intensity of fruit on the palate. It does need time though.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Nicolas Potel is still hard at work developing his domaine, where the wines are made under his general direction by the talented Sylvain Debord, a curly-haired wild child. More vineyards are being planted in St Romain and for a Crémant de Bourgogne project and there may be further vineyards coming aboard, depending on some farming contracts being discussed.

Until 28th March this product is discounted by 40% off the retail bottle price.* *Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout. Offer only applies to 75cl bottles, other formats are not included.

From 50-year-old vines, this Vosne-side Nuits is a beautiful mid-purple, with deep, dark red fruit, a perfect acid balance, and weight and distinction showing on the palate. Very impressive in 2012.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

As far as supply is concerned it’s a topsy turvy position in 2012. Overall, Ben has made plenty of wine but some cuvées are missing this year. The best volumes are with the Chassagne-Montrachet Premiers Crus, which are always a strong point chez Benjamin. From a standing start in 2007 Benjamin has made truly exciting progress, and has grown his business a little more quickly than expected as great opportunities have come his way. Yet each year he still doesn’t seem to have quite enough wine to satisfy demand.

Nicolas Potel has installed the négociant arm of his business on the Savigny side of town which gives him plenty of space for making and maturing the wines, along with logistics and office needs, while keeping his Domaine de Bellene operation completely separate in Beaune itself. The selling point here is consistent competence mixed with attractive pricing.

A beautiful, bright mid-purple, this is bursting with energy on the nose. This is very typical Chambolle but with excellent tension, filling the middle of the palate then stretching out behind. Peonies and ripe cherries: this is really lovely.

This domaine was originally put on the map by Christian Sérafin’s father, Stanilaus Serafin, a Polish émigré, who settled in Burgundy before the war and espoused 50 per cent whole-bunch fermentation and not too much new oak. He initially worked as a mason, before, in 1947, purchasing some land and establishing himself as a vigneron. His son Christian inherited the domaine in 1988, though he had been making the wine for the previous 20 years.

A bright colour, and though the nose is quite backward, the palate reveals a huge wealth of vibrant strawberry and raspberry fruit. This matches very well the structure of fine-grained tannins.

Only one and a half barrels were made and this Volnay Taillepieds, 1er Cru has a good, bright colour and an energetic bouquet of rich red fruit, supported by new wood. This is notably weighty in 2012, even a touch austere, but the concentration is unquestionably there.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

We have bought wines from this domaine in previous vintages, but this is the first year that they are appearing in the Opening Offer. Marc-Olivier Buffet, son of François, is the man in charge. He has a superb range of Premiers Crus in Volnay and Pommard, and though he managed to make them all in 2012, volumes are minute: below 10 hl/ha. He did not use many stems in 2012 and such is the concentration of the wines that he will give them a longer barrel maturation than usual. Beautiful wines with great aromatics, and keen pricing to boot

Patrice Rion and his wife Michèle began their own small domaine in 1990, but have since expanded. Alongside their domaine wines, Patrice makes a small range of négociant cuvées. He has recently been joined in the business by son Maxime. Patrice’s style is for very pure, harmonious wines, skilfully vinified and then matured in oak barrels with a well-judged percentage of new oak (usually 50 percent new) for 18 months, without racking or fining.

The fruit for this wine is purchased from three plots in all, part above Le Musigny and part below Les Charmes. Medium purple, with attractive fruit, excellent body and good length, this is very Chambolle in character but with a bit of structure. Perfumed and attractive.

Burgundy 2012 En Primeur - Staff Favourite Bright red and black fruit, rich and velvety on nose. Delightful black fruit on the palate, rich and pure, but with some fine, grippy tannins keeping it all in check. Yet another triumph from the talented Pierre Vincent of Domaine de la Vougeraie.Chris Pollington, Fine Wine

The Clos comprises three hectares in all, but half is being replanted. The rest are 40-year-old vines. There is deep red fruit on the nose which blossoms gloriously in the glass and continues on the palate, leaving a rosy glow behind. A spectacular debut vintage.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

This superb domaine grows in reputation and also in size: this year sees the first vintage of Nuits-St Georges, Clos de Thorey. Look out for even further additions in the next two years. Winemaker Pierre Vincent’s style is for lighter colours and very sensual wines and he has done a cracking job again in 2012; a vintage which supported the plentiful use of whole bunch fermentation. The domaine is certified organic and fully biodynamic.

Glowing purple, with a lovely warmth of flavour, spicy with some garrigue notes. Pure and penetrating, robustly structured, deep cherry fruit comes out behind. Concentrated, and a touch austere. This is a Vosne-Romanée to catch the imagination. Drink 2018-2022.

It was fascinating to taste the 2012 range with Bertrand Maume and his colleagues from Marchand-Tawse, who now assist in the winemaking process since Moray Tawse bought the domaine two years ago. There is still the recognisable, characterful Maume style but some of the inconsistencies of the past have been ironed out. There has been a little more pumping-over to aerate the fermenting vats and thus better manage the reductive aspects of old-style Maume winemaking. 2012 is a lovely vintage here.

Until 28th March this product is discounted by 40% off the retail bottle price.*

A glowing rich, deep purple wine with a lovely exuberant nose, this has a superb suave texture with plenty of fully ripe tannins behind the sumptuous weight of dark red and bramble fruit. Long and deep with a fine finish.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

The new premises in Chorey-lès-Beaune remain something of a building site externally. However, inside everything is in place for making fine wine, while upstairs an apartment has almost been completed for Sylvain, his wife and new baby. The whites have been a great success here since Sylvain’s first vintage (2007), while 2012 marks huge progress on the red wine front. A refined approach to the vinification process has produced much more perfumed fruit and has avoided the reductive aromas which sometimes used to appear.

*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout. Offer only applies to 75cl bottles, other formats are not included.

Dense, dark purple with an outstanding bouquet of dark fruit, this wine is very concentrated. There is a superb depth of fruit throughout and yet it is very well balanced, even silky behind. An amazingly intense example of this vineyard.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Picking began on 24th September through to 5th October, producing a tiny yield in Premeaux after heavy rain during flowering. However, Chambolle survived in places and did go through malolactic fermentation with ease, leaving Nuits-St Georges to be much later. Despite healthy fruit, the crop has been reduced severely, producing as little as 12 hl/ ha in places. Patrice uses 30% new wood on his village wines and 40% for his Premiers Crus. Wines marked as ‘Patrice Rion label’ are officially negoçiant cuvées, but in every case, except the village Chambolle-Musigny, the Rions have done all the vineyard work as well as made the wine.

A brilliant, deep, dark purple, with layered chocolate characters. It’s difficult to pin down at the moment, but the wine is quite weighty with a touch of smoky notes.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

As far as supply is concerned it’s a topsy turvy position in 2012. Overall, Ben has made plenty of wine but some cuvées are missing this year. The best volumes are with the Chassagne-Montrachet Premiers Crus, which are always a strong point chez Benjamin. From a standing start in 2007 Benjamin has made truly exciting progress, and has grown his business a little more quickly than expected as great opportunities have come his way. Yet each year he still doesn’t seem to have quite enough wine to satisfy demand.

The most backward in its evolution, this wine is a very deep, purple-black colour with plentiful dark cherries on the nose. It has a good, firm structure but the tannins are absolutely covered by the fruit.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

A lovely deep pool of blackberry fruit greets the nose, big and concentrated on the palate, black fruit again and a certain spiciness, mouth-watering acidity and grippy tannins. This is a 1er Cru Nuits for the medium to long term, but will be a real treat when it’s mature.Chris Pollington - Private Account Manager

Picking began on 24th September through to 5th October, producing a tiny yield in Premeaux after heavy rain during flowering. However, Chambolle survived in places and did go through malolactic fermentation with ease, leaving Nuits-St Georges to be much later. Despite healthy fruit, the crop has been reduced severely, producing as little as 12 hl/ ha in places. Patrice uses 30% new wood on his village wines and 40% for his Premiers Crus. Wines marked as ‘Patrice Rion label’ are officially negoçiant cuvées, but in every case, except the village Chambolle-Musigny, the Rions have done all the vineyard work as well as made the wine.

The old vines come from the Brochon side of Gevrey, averaging 60 to 80-years-old. The Les Crais vineyard, in particular, offers finesse. Rich purple in colour, with a fine touch of oak, bursting with bright, vibrant fruit, notably dark cherries.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

The Sérafins (Christian, his daughter Karine and niece Frédérique) do not rack their wines before bottling, having separated out all but the fine lees after the fermentation. Such is the concentration of the fruit in these wines that they can easily handle the new barrels in which they are being matured. The Sérafins take particular care to apportion particular forests and coopers to different cuvées. Overall, their crop is down by 30% in 2012.

A first class selection of pinot fin in this vineyard guarantees small berries. The colour is a fine pure rich purple, with superb concentration on the nose, dense ripe fruit in the mouth alongside plenty of tannic structure, but all is in harmony. Amazing length.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

As far as supply is concerned it’s a topsy turvy position in 2012. Overall, Ben has made plenty of wine but some cuvées are missing this year. The best volumes are with the Chassagne-Montrachet Premiers Crus, which are always a strong point chez Benjamin. From a standing start in 2007 Benjamin has made truly exciting progress, and has grown his business a little more quickly than expected as great opportunities have come his way. Yet each year he still doesn’t seem to have quite enough wine to satisfy demand.

Lovely bright mid-purple with a very stylish nose, including plenty of new wood. Exuberant on the palate, with the oak showing a bit, but it also has lift and class. Alpine strawberries and raspberries abound. A delicious wine from a great vineyard.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Nicolas Potel has retained the majority of his regular contracts in 2012, though a couple are missing after the hail. Like everybody else, he has had to pay more for his grapes though, especially at the top end of the hierarchy. But as ever there are some delicious wines in the range, and at the lower end the prices are thoroughly competitive.

Made from purchased grapes in one of Vosne- Romanée’s higher vineyards. Fine, bright purple, while the nose is quite reticent. On the palate there is impressive intensity, with piercing redcurrant fruit notes and good oak balance.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Alain Burguet’s sons now have their own names on the label. The style at this excellent domaine has been evolving in recent years, away from firmly extracted wines towards a lighter touch. The vineyards are organic (without certification) and biodynamic from 2012, and they are trying out different barrel makers now.

This has been a favourite Roche de Bellene cuvée for a while. The 2012 has a beautiful fresh mid-purple colour, with a sublime, balanced, heady nose, that’s very floral and exquisitely poised. Fine-boned, precise red fruit on the palate, with some tannins behind to lend support and just enough acidity to complete the balance of the wine.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Nicolas Potel has retained the majority of his regular contracts in 2012, though a couple are missing after the hail. Like everybody else, he has had to pay more for his grapes though, especially at the top end of the hierarchy. But as ever there are some delicious wines in the range, and at the lower end the prices are thoroughly competitive.

This Grand Cru Chambertin Clos de Bèze shows agreeably fresh, layered and cool wild red berry fruit aromas that are liberally laced with a sauvage character. There is good richness and plenty of volume to the tautly muscled medium weight plus flavors that possess a subtle minerality that continues onto the impressively long finish. Like several wines in the range this is not especially complex at present but my projected range offers the benefit of the doubt that much more will develop with time in bottle.

Eric and Jean-Luc Burguet succinctly described 2012 as a "difficult vintage that was not easy to manage. We lost a lot of the potential crop because of a poor flowering and then at the time of the harvest we lost more due to a careful sorting process. On the plus side the fruit was concentrated and the vinifications were able to pull out this material into the wine with almost no help from us. As a result the 2012s are quite fleshy and generous with seductive mouth feels that should allow the wines to be very popular as they will be easy to appreciate. For us, 2012 is not a great vintage but it is an attractive one all the same." My take on the Burguet 2012s is pretty much spot on with how the brothers feel about their wines, which is to say that the quality is consistent with the general level of the vintage. The 2012s will be bottled without fining or filtration.91-93/100 Allen Meadows - burghound.com - issue 53 - Jan 2014

Olivier Bernstein’s Charmes-Chambertin is a blend from plots in both the Charmes and the Mazoyères-Chambertin parts of the vineyard, from vines averaging over 40 years. The Charmes topsoil is relatively red, thanks to a high iron content, and with plenty of limestone pebbles, indicating the proximity of the mother rock which has a high active-chalk component. In Mazoyères, the topsoil appears lighter in colour and texture, with fewer pebbles and greater depth.

Glowing imperial purple in colour: the nose is discreet at first before swathes of glossy ripe cherry fruit emerge. The texture in the mouth is fine and soft with dark fruit matched by some bright red cherry notes. There is a significant weight of compelling Charmes style fruit here, an exceptionally intense rendition of the vineyard.Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

The wines of Burgundy – perhaps more than any other region – are a product both of place but also of people. With individual vineyard plots often split amongst countless producers, the terroir expressed in a wine can be unusually specific; equally the style of the winemaker can be readily discerned when tasted against his neighbours.

Back in 2007, Jasper Morris MW – Berry Bros. & Rudd’s Burgundy buyer, who lives in the region for most of the year – heard whispers about a new producer, whose wines were said to be universally impressive. Jasper duly sought out Olivier Bernstein and tasted his portfolio: “It was terrifically exciting to come across a brand-new quality producer in the Burgundy market, and to taste wines of such class from his very first vintage,” says Morris.

“Now, five years on, Olivier has matured into a confident player with his Premiers and Grands Crus wines of the Côte de Nuits.” Since Berry Bros. & Rudd first offered Bernstein’s wines with the 2007 vintage, Olivier’s reputation in the UK and worldwide markets has steadily grown. We are delighted that the 2012 vintage – unquestionably Bernstein’s most refined and well-composed offering to date – will be available to the UK market exclusively through Berry Bros. & Rudd.